CHAP. XVI THE PUGA VALLEY 283 



which last were quite refreshing to see, after the treeless 

 country through which we had been recently travelling. 

 We arrived about four o'clock, and the yaks an hour 

 after, when the tents were put up and things made 

 comfortable. We had done about 13 miles. 



It was quite warm that night, and I only required 

 two blankets. The night before, and generally since 

 leaving Upshi, I had slept in my sheepskin bag, some- 

 times without, but generally with blankets as well. 



On the 8th the march was along the Indus. About 

 eleven o'clock we found a high cliff of conglomerate 

 which gave some shade, and accordingly sat down to our 

 breakfast. There being no wood, fuel was obtained 

 from the yak droppings on a patch of grass by the river. 

 The Indus, though the colour of pea soup from silt, had to 

 supply water for the tea. 



About 2 P.M. we arrived opposite Nimu, at which 

 point the river is fordable. Here we found the stream 

 flowing gently in a series of channels among a number of 

 flat grassy islands. Some men belonging to the Nimu 

 village, who were on the left bank when we arrived, sent 

 word to Nimu for coolies to take the baggage, and for 

 a raft (called a zak, and made of inflated goat-skins) 

 to take us over. But the river beino- more than half 

 a mile wide at the point, and the village being about 

 2 miles up the far bank, it soon became evident that 

 we could not get across that evening. We accordingly 

 pitched our tents by the edge of the stream when the 

 yaks came in, and an uncommonly damp dirty camp we 

 found it. The day's march was about i 2 miles. 



W^e were wakened on the morning of the 9th by the 



